Lot
1371 
(The Great Chicago Fire) "Chicago Oct 10 / 71", dateline on three-page enclosed letter written during the Chicago fire, original cover with "Boston Mass Oct 14" duplex with cork cancel, no stamp or due markings, excellent letter written in pencil that mentions "The city is still burning…Gen. Sheridan is guarding the city with 4,000 soldiers"; minor cover age stains, a Very Fine letter and usage, ex-Rohloff. Estimate $500 - 750.
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871. The fire killed up to 300 people and destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles of Chicago leaving more than 100,000 residents homeless. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S. disasters of the 19th century, and destroyed much of the city's central business district, Chicago was rebuilt and continued to grow as one of the most populous and economically important American cities.